Apparatus for filling cartons

ABSTRACT

A method and apparatus are provided for loading of an open ended carton with at least one and more usually with a plurality of articles. The apparatus includes a carton picker for transferring carton blanks from a magazine to a carton conveyor where they move continuously to a take-off conveyor. An article tray mounted on an article conveyor is supplied with articles from an article supply system. The article tray is moved into a position in alignment with a carton on the carton conveyor. A transfer ramp provided with a cam for extending the carton flaps is moved into position between the article tray and the carton. Articles are then pushed from the article tray across the ramp and into the open end of a carton while the carton proceeds continuously of the carton conveyor.

[ Sept. 23, 1975 United States Patent 1 Beck et al.

[54] APPARATUS FOR FILLING CARTONS Primary Examiner-Travis S. McGehee [75] Inventors: Charles C. Beck,

Agent, or FirmFitch, Even, Tabin &

3 wk ma 0e nu AL Cl 0 h m n b men om mo C r h a B L d r 0 l m Minn.

[57] ABSTRACT A method and apparatus are provided for loadin an open ended carton with at least one and m [73] Assignee: Paxall, Inc., Chicago, 1]].

Filed: Mar. 25, 1974 g of ore usuincludes [21] Ap l. No; 454,083 ally with a plurality of articles. The apparatus a carton picker for transferring carton blanks from a magazine to a carton conveyor where the y move contion between the article tray and the carton. Articles UNITED STATES PATENTS are then pushed from the article tray across the ramp m r a M 3,193,98l 7/1965 Whitecar..,........... 3,269,091 8/l966 3,719,0l9 3/l973 n 53/252 and into the open end of a carton while the carton 53/252 X proceeds continuously of the carton conveyor,

a t e t h c e r pm A 3 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 1 of 6 US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 2 0f6 3,906,705

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 3 of6 3,906,705

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Shet 4 of6 3,906,705

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 5 of6 3,906,705

US Patent Sept. 23,1975 Sheet 6 0m 3,906,705

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CARTONS The present invention relates generally to apparatus and a method for loading articles into a carton while the carton is being continuously conveyed. More particularly, the present invention is directed to apparatus and a method for inserting articles into a continuously moving carton or package while restraining the end flaps of the carton in an open position.

The packaging of individual articles often requires a substantial amount of manual handling. For example, it has been customary to package flash cubes by placing the base of each of a plurality of the flash cubes into holes provided in a rectangular cardboard tray to provide a subassembly. The placing of the flash cubes into the rectangular cardboard tray is often done by hand. The subassembly is then handpacked into a cardboard carton. The cardboard carton may then be introduced into automatic sealing and packaging equipment. Automatic and continuous apparatus would substantially reduce the amount of hand labor required to package and distribute such articles as flash cubes for consumer sale.

Among the various known apparatus for inserting products into moving cartons is that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,509,681 to Sass (May 5, 1970) wherein open cartons are placed on a carton conveyor. The carton conveyor is provided with carton flap closing plows for closing the carton flaps at one end of the carton. Other plows extend the closing flaps at the other end of the carton and keep these flaps open. Adjacent the carton conveyor is a product conveyor which is provided with product-containing receptacles in transverse alignment with the cartons on the carton conveyor. The carton conveyor and the product conveyor travel at the same speed. Camming tracks are used to move the product receptacle toward and into an aligned carton. After the receptacle has entered the cartons, a pusher, also actuated by a cam track, moves relative to the product receptacle toward the carton so as to insert the product into the carton. The cam tracks thereafter move the pusher and the product receptacle out of the filled carton and the flaps at the loading end of the carton are closed.

Such known apparatus has not been fully acceptable in that alignment of the product receptacle with the carton has been difficult to maintain. Slight misalignment of the product receptacle with the carton results in jamming of the machine when the pusher moves to eject the product from the product receptacle. Design of machines, which result in termination of transverse movement of the product receptacle without entrance of the product receptacle into the carton have also been difficult. Subsequent ejectment of the product from the product receptacle by a pusher has also often resulted in jamming of the machine.

It would be desirable to provide automatic and continuous apparatus for placing articles into a carton which is less susceptible to misalignment of the product receptacle. It would also be desirable to provide automatic and continuous cartoning machinery wherein the product receptacle does not need to be moved transversely into a position adjacent or entering the carton as the product is ejected from the product receptacle.

Accordingly. it is a principal object of the present invention to provide apparatus for loading articles into a carton. It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and a method for loading articles into a continuously moving carton. It is a further object of the present invention to provide novel carton loading apparatus which functions in cooperation with carton placing apparatus and an article loader. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide apparatus and a method for loading cartons with a plurality of articles wherein the loading is effected while a series of cartons moves continuously on a conveyor, the end flaps of the carton are restrained and articles are inserted into the carton without interrupting the continuous movement of the carton.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGS. 1 to 3 are a sequence of views illustrating a carton at various stages during preparation of the carton for loading by the apparatus of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic, perspective view of carton conveying apparatus illustrating a carton conveyor, an article conveyor and a take-off conveyor.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of carton placing and carton conveying apparatus in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of carton conveying and article conveying apparatus made in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6 of the article conveyor system and carton conveyor apparatus; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 6 of the article conveyor system.

Generally, in accordance with various features of the invention, apparatus and a method are provided for effecting loading of an open-ended carton with at least one and more usually with a plurality of articles. The apparatus is particularly adapted for the rapid and continuous loading of a plurality of small, delicate articles, such as flash cubes, but is equally suited for continuous loading of other articles. As used herein, the term flash cubes" refers to a form of flash bulb useful for photographic purposes. The flash cube includes four separate, electrically triggered flash charges located one each on the four sides of the rectangular or cubeshaped body. The body includes a suitable male base at one end for insertion into a female socket usually located on the top of a camera frame.

As best seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the apparatus includes a carton picker 11 for transferring carton blanks from a magazine 13 to a carton conveyor 15 where they move continuously to a take-ofi' conveyor 16. An article conveyor 17 is supplied with a plurality of articles from an article supply system 18. Intermediate article transfer chutes 19 are mounted on transfer conveyor 20. The transfer chutes 19 are interposed between the carton on the carton conveyor and the articles on the article conveyor. The carton picker ll, carton conveyor l5, transfer conveyor 20, and article conveyor 17 are driven by a common motor drive system 21.

The carton picker 11 is preferably of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,302,946 to Paul I. Anderson, which issued Feb. 7, 1967, although other types of carton pickers can be used. The carton picker 1] includes a base member 12 for mounting the various components of the carton picker. Base member 12 is common to the other components of the carton loading apparatus of the invention. The base member 12 carries a pair of spaced-apart side plates 22 which are fixedly at tached to the base member 12. The base member 12 and side plates 22 support the magazine 13 by means of a mounting bracket 23, mounting blocks 24 and cross-shaft 26. A pair of spider members 28 are drivably mounted on a shaft 29 at spaced locations and positioned between the side plates 22. The spider members, as shown, have outwardly extending legs 30.

A main drive sprocket 32 is rotatably mounted on a shaft with suitable bearings. The drive sprocket 32 is driven by motor drive system 21 by suitable drive connections. The main drive sprocket 32 drives chain 34 which drives spider 28 through a drive sprocket 36 which is fixedly mounted to the shaft 29. A further drive sprocket 38 is also fixedly attached to the frame 12 and the shaft 29 rotates therewithin so as to cause a chain 39 to drive a sprocket 40 as the spider is rotated.

At the outer ends of each of the legs 30 of the spiders 28, a separate shaft 41 and 42 is rotatably mounted. Each of the shafts 41 and 42 carries a separate radially extending tube 43 and 44. The tubes 43 and 44 are mounted on shafts 41 and 42 so that each of the tubes 43 and 44 is open to the interior of the shaft on which it is mounted and sealed from the atmosphere. At the outer end of each of the tubes 43 and 44 a suction cup 45 and 46 is provided. Each of the suction cups has an open center portion which opens to the interior of the radially extending tube on which it is mounted.

The cups are made of a suitable flexible material, such as a soft rubber or a suitable plastic material.

The shafts 41 and 42 are hollow and are connected to a source of vacuum (not shown) by suitable rotating seals. As shown in phantom outline in FIG. 5, a suction cup 45 is moved into position contiguous with the end carton of a supply of cartons 50 in magazine 13. Vac uum is applied to the cup and the cup picks up a carton 50 in a knocked-down condition out of the magazine 13. As shown by the further sequence of phantom views, the carton 50 is carried into position above the carton conveyor 15. After a single carton 50 is removed from the stack of cartons by a vacuum cup, the natural resiliency of the packaging material causes the knocked-down carton to partially open. As can be seen in FIG. 5, as the partially opened carton 50 is moved into position approaching the carton conveyor 15, the edge of the carton meets a rearward lug of a pair of lugs 52 on the carton conveyor 15 and as the carton 50 is moved further into place the lugs 52 cause the carton 50 to fully open and be engaged between the lugs 52. At this point, the vacuum is released and the carton 50 is dropped from the vacuum cup into place on the carton conveyor 15.

As shown in FIGS. 4, and 7, the carton conveyor includes conveyor chains 54 and 55, which are mounted on conveyor chain sprockets 56, 56a, 57 and 57a. The conveyor chain sprockets 56, 56a, 57 and 570 are rigidly mounted to shafts 58 and 59. The shafts 58 and 59 terminate in pillow blocks 58a, 58b, 59a and 59b. A drive pulley 60 is rigidly mounted to shaft 59 and the drive pulley 60 is drivably engaged with motor drive system 21 by a suitable drive arrangement. AS best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, lugs 52 are affixed to the conveyor chains 54 and 55. The lugs 52 are spaced longitudinally along the conveyor chain a distance apart approximately equal to the width of a carton 50 which is placed into position between the lugs 52.

The carton 50 may include an outwardly extending display area upon which suitable display material may be printed. The display area generally extends along the length of the conveyor chain and the length of the display area may be such as to overlap the carton immediately proceeding. As the carton moves down the conveyor chain, as seen in FIG. 5, the carton and display area move below a depressor bar 60 which holds the carton firmly in place between the lugs 52 as the carton 50 moves through the filling sequence to be described hereinafter.

As can best be seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, article tray 98 is spaced from cartons 50 on carton conveyor 15. Transfer conveyor 20 is used to interpose transfer chutes 19 between the article tray 98 and a carton 50 on carton conveyor 15. Transfer chute 19 is provided with a cam bar which is used to control the opening of the top side flaps of the carton 50 as transfer chute 19 is moved into position between article tray 98 and carton 50, as will be explained more fully hereinafter. Transfer conveyor 20 includes conveyor chain 122, which is mounted on conveyor chain sprockets 124 and 126. The conveyor chain sprockets 124 and I26 are rigidly mounted to shafts 128 and 130. The ends of shafts 128 and 130 are terminated in pillow blocks 128a, l28b and 1300, [30b respectively. A drive pulley 132 is rigidly mounted to shaft 128 and the drive pulley 132 is drivably engaged with motor drive system 21 by a suitable drive arrangement. Transfer chute 19 is fixedly attached to conveyor chain 122 by brackets 134 (not shown in FIG. 8 for pusposes of clarity).

As best seen in FIGS. 1 through 3 and FIG. 8, transfer chute I9 is moved in timed relation with a carton 50 on carton conveyor 15 so as to spread the top flap 8 and the side flaps 3 and 4 of carton 50 by means of the cam bar 120. As transfer chute 19 moves upwardly around drive sprocket 126, the cam bar 120 first contacts top flap 8 as carton 50 proceeds down carton conveyor 15, and as transfer chute l9 proceeds further along its travel around chain sprocket 126, the bottom edge of transfer chute 19, as shown in FIG. 2 contacts side flap 4 of carton 50. The interposition of transfer chute I9 between a carton 50 and an article tray 98 occurs in the arcuate section defined by lines A and B. As the transfer chute 19 reaches point A, cam bar 120 touches top flap 8. At point B the transfer chute 19 has been interposed between article tray 98 and carton 50.

As seen in FIG. 3, after transfer chute 19 has passed around chain sprocket 126 to point B the transfer chute 19 is interposed between article tray 98 and carton 50, and top flap 8 and side flaps 3 and 4 are maintained in an open position to receive articles from article tray 98. Transfer chute 19 is preferably provided, at the end closest to article tray, 98 with a flared entry to compensate for slight misalignment between transfer chute l9 and article tray 98.

After transfer chute 19 has been moved into position between article tray 98 and carton 50, carton 50 is ready to be loaded with articles from article tray 98.

As the carton 50 moves along the carton conveyor, stationary tucking fingers, a tucking track and tucking arm (all not shown) move outwardly folding side flaps and the top and bottom'flaps of the outward end of the carton into position for closing. It should be understood that the closing of the outward end of the carton is independent of and not related to the insertion of articles into the carton, as will be described hereinbelow.

On the inward end of the carton, that is, the side adjacent the article conveyor 17, the bottom end flap 7 of the carton is engaged by a restraining arm 76 and is held in a depressed position with respect to the bottommost level of the carton. The restraining arm 76; feeds the end flap of the carton to a restraining track 78 which holds the end flap in a depressed position until the carton has been loaded with articles by the action of the article conveyor 17 and the transfer conveyor 20. After being filled with articles, the side flaps 3 and 4, the bottom flap 7 and the top flap 8 of the carton are tucked into position and the inward end of the carton is closed by tucking fingers and tucking arms (also not shown) as previously described.

The carton, after it has been loaded with articles in a manner to be described, is then passed down the carton conveyor and is transferred to suitable apparatus for further processing, which may be a take-off conveyor 16, as seen in FIG. 4. The conveyor 16 transfers the filled cartons to suitable handling and packaging equipment.

The article conveyor 17 includes conveyor chains 90, 9l and 91a which are driven by conveyor chain drive sprockets 92, 92a, 93 and 93a, 94 and 94a. The con veyor chain drive sprockets are fixedly mounted on shafts 95 and 58 respectively. The ends of the shafts 9S and 96 are terminated in pillow blocks 95a and 95b and 58a and 58b respectively. Drive pulley 97 is fixedly mounted on shaft 95. Drive pulley 97 is drivably engaged with motor drive system 21.

An article tray 98 is provided for receiving articles from an article loading system 18. It is contemplated that the type of article loading system will be dependent upon the type of articles which are to be loaded into the article tray 98. The article loading system is perated in timed relationship to article tray 98. As shown in FIG. 7, the article tray 98 is fixedly attached to conveyor chains 91 and 910.

An article pusher 104 is provided which is moved independently of article tray 90. The article pusher 104 is provided with bushings 106 for slideable engagement with guide bar [08. Guide bar 108 is fixedly mounted to conveyor chains 90 and 91a by means of mounting brackets l 10.

The article pusher 104 is provided with cam follower 112. The article pusher cam follower 1 12 is engaged in cam track 114. Cam track 1 14 is formed from parallel cam bars 1 16. The cam plan for cam track U4 may be best seen in FIG. 6.

In operation, cartons 50 are removed from the magazine l3 and set up between the lugs 52 of the carton conveyor 15. Articles to be loaded into the container are placed into the article tray 98. The loading of the articles into the article tray is performed independently of the set up of the carton 50 on the carton conveyor 15. As the cartons 50 are moved along the carton conveyor [5, the transfer chute l9 begins its upward movement around the end sprocket 126 of the transfer conveyor 20. The cam bar 120 on the transfer chute 19 contacts the top flap 8 of the container 50 and begins to move it upwardly out of the way. As the transfer chute l9 progresses further around the end sprocket 126, the bottom of the transfer chute 19 contacts the leading side flap 4 of the carton 50 and begins to move it out of the way. After a further slight forward amount of movement of the transfer chute 19 around the end sprocket 126 the trailing side flap 3 of the carton 50 is contacted and the trailing flap 3 moves aside as the transfer chute 19 reaches the topmost position and is adjacent and in alignment with the carton 50. The top flap 8 is extended upwardly and is held in place by the cam bar and the two side flaps 3, 4 and are extended outwardly by the cam bar 120. The carton 50 is then in position to be loaded.

At this time, the article pusher 104, whose transverse movement is controlled by the cam track 114 begins to be caused to move inwardly towardly toward the carton 50 by the cam track 114. The pusher 104 moves the articles from the article tray 98 across the transfer chute l9 and into the cartons 50. After the articles have been inserted fully into the carton the pusher 104 is caused to be moved by the cam track 114 rearwardly and is disengaged from the carton 50. The loaded carton 50 then proceeds along the carton conveyor 15. The open end of the carton 50 is closed and carton 50 is discharged from the end of the carton conveyor 15 to suitable handling apparatus, such as transfer conveyor 16.

It should be understood that the above sequence of steps occur continuously, and there is no pause in the progress of the carton 50 along the carton conveyor 15 as the transfer chute moves into position and as the articles are moved from the article tray 98 and into the carton 50 by means of the pusher 104.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for loading cartons with articles comprising first continuously driven conveyor means having means for carrying open-ended cartons, second continuously driven conveyor means, said second conveyor means moving substantially parallel and in timed relation to said first conveyor means, third continuously driven conveyor means, said third conveyor means having mounted thereon a plurality of transfer chutes, said third conveyor means being interposed between said first conveyor means and said second conveyor means, said third conveyor means moving substantially parallel and in timed relation to said first and said second conveyor means, each of said transfer chutes carrying individual upwardly extending means for camming the uppermost flap on said open-ended carton into an open position and holding such flap in said open position, an article tray mounted on said second conveyor means and pushing means for moving articles from said tray and into said carton, whereby arti cles are moved from said tray across said transfer chute and into an open end of a carton while the carton proceeds continuously on said first conveyor means.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upwardly extending means comprises a bar extending across said transfer chute.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said third conveyor means comprises a continuous chain conveyor which is mounted on a sprocket carried on a horizontal shaft, said sprocket being located downstream of the infeed end of said first conveyor means whereby the open-ended cartons are in place upon said first conveyor means before said respective transfer chutes are moved into alignment therewith. 

1. Apparatus for loading cartons with articles comprising first continuously driven conveyor means having means for carrying open-ended cartons, second continuously driven conveyor means, said second conveyor means moving substantially parallel and in timed relation to said first conveyor means, third continuously driven conveyor means, said third conveyor means having mounted thereon a plurality of transfer chutes, said third conveyor means being interposed between said first conveyor means and said second conveyor means, said third conveyor means moving substantially parallel and in timed relation to said first and said second conveyor means, each of said transfer chutes carrying individual upwardly extending means for camming the uppermost flap on said open-ended carton into an open position and holding such flap in said open position, an article tray mounted on said second conveyor means and pushing means for moving articles from said tray and into said carton, whereby articles are moved from said tray across said transfer chute and into an open end of a carton while the carton proceeds continuously on said first conveyor means.
 2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said upwardly extending means comprises a bar extending across said transfer chute.
 3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said third conveyor means comprises a continuous chain conveyor which is mounted on a sprocket carried on a horizontal shaft, said sprocket being located downstream of the infeed end of said first conveyor means whereby the open-ended cartons are in place upon said first conveyor means before said respective transfer chutes are moved into alignment therewith. 